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The Purification Era #1
Sowing
#1 Bestseller in Teen & Young Adult Politics & Government Fiction
Top 10 finalist in Mark Lawrence's SPFBO 2018
They can take your house, your daughter, whatever they want.
For Ariliah, life under the militarized Hulcondans is one of order and safety. Despite the soldiers’ ruthless policies, she trusts their judgment. They alone provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the city wall.
For her older sister, Rabreah, every glance from a Hulcondan is a threat. Though even a whisper against them is treason worthy of death, Rabreah is determined to end their tyranny. Joining an underground resistance is her only hope – until she realizes she doesn’t know the people she’s aligned herself with at all. Unsure who to trust but unable to back out, she must work alongside the attractive yet infuriating rebel leader who reminds her far too much of the soldiers she hates.
But with subversive posters appearing throughout the city and people dying on the blade of an unknown assailant, the sisters’ world begins to crumble.
And as the line between friend and enemy blurs, both girls must face the truth: everything is about to change.
Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war.
Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war.
Perfect for fans of the characterization and political tension in Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series, and Pierce Brown’s Red Rising saga.
*This series is meant to be read in order.*
*Revised June 2019 in response to reviewer concerns.*
Top 10 finalist in Mark Lawrence's SPFBO 2018
They can take your house, your daughter, whatever they want.
For Ariliah, life under the militarized Hulcondans is one of order and safety. Despite the soldiers’ ruthless policies, she trusts their judgment. They alone provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the city wall.
For her older sister, Rabreah, every glance from a Hulcondan is a threat. Though even a whisper against them is treason worthy of death, Rabreah is determined to end their tyranny. Joining an underground resistance is her only hope – until she realizes she doesn’t know the people she’s aligned herself with at all. Unsure who to trust but unable to back out, she must work alongside the attractive yet infuriating rebel leader who reminds her far too much of the soldiers she hates.
But with subversive posters appearing throughout the city and people dying on the blade of an unknown assailant, the sisters’ world begins to crumble.
And as the line between friend and enemy blurs, both girls must face the truth: everything is about to change.
Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war.
Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war.
Perfect for fans of the characterization and political tension in Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series, and Pierce Brown’s Red Rising saga.
*This series is meant to be read in order.*
*Revised June 2019 in response to reviewer concerns.*
386 pages, ebook
First published August 9, 2016
78 people are currently reading
2595 people want to read
About the author
Angie Grigaliunas
7 books130 followersIMPORTANT NOTE:
~On 7-24-24, I announced that I am splitting my branding between two names: Angie Grigaliunas (clean & closed-door NA) and A.D. Grigaliunas (gritty & intimate NA). Sowing and Quelling were unpublished/out of print as of August 31. Razing’s pre-order was cancelled.
~After necessary revisions, Sowing and Quelling will eventually be published under A.D. Grigaliunas (with gorgeous new covers and with Razing hot on their heels)!
~The Angie Grigaliunas name will now be dedicated to NA sweet/clean romances (like The Midnight Prince). I have fantastic plans there, so stay tuned for more!
~To stay up to date on all of this, follow on Instagram @ angiesquill.
ALSO IMPORTANT: If you already own a digital copy of TPE, you will not lose access to that copy as a result of this change.
______
Angie Grigaliunas (grig-ah-loo-nahs) is a part-time normal person and full-time author of PG-13 New Adult books full of grit, grace, and probably rebels. She loves Jesus, the woods, and the stars, and has always wanted to be a superhero with a secret identity.
She has completed seven novels: one about elves that needs a massive revision before it ever sees the light of day; one that is part of her current story but also needs a massive revision to fit a new storyline; the actual first, second, and third books (Sowing, Quelling, and Razing) in her dystopian/fantasy series (The Purification Era); the first in a companion trilogy set in the same world as The Purification Era; and a Cinderella retelling with fey. When she’s not writing, she’s usually Facebooking — ack! — or thinking about story stuff. Or exercising. Or eating ice cream, because life is short and ice cream is delicious.
Despite several of her writing friends once claiming she’s Canadian, she is not; a native to Ohio, she now lives in Tennessee with her dear husband, their goofy dog, and their small army of rescue cats.
~On 7-24-24, I announced that I am splitting my branding between two names: Angie Grigaliunas (clean & closed-door NA) and A.D. Grigaliunas (gritty & intimate NA). Sowing and Quelling were unpublished/out of print as of August 31. Razing’s pre-order was cancelled.
~After necessary revisions, Sowing and Quelling will eventually be published under A.D. Grigaliunas (with gorgeous new covers and with Razing hot on their heels)!
~The Angie Grigaliunas name will now be dedicated to NA sweet/clean romances (like The Midnight Prince). I have fantastic plans there, so stay tuned for more!
~To stay up to date on all of this, follow on Instagram @ angiesquill.
ALSO IMPORTANT: If you already own a digital copy of TPE, you will not lose access to that copy as a result of this change.
______
Angie Grigaliunas (grig-ah-loo-nahs) is a part-time normal person and full-time author of PG-13 New Adult books full of grit, grace, and probably rebels. She loves Jesus, the woods, and the stars, and has always wanted to be a superhero with a secret identity.
She has completed seven novels: one about elves that needs a massive revision before it ever sees the light of day; one that is part of her current story but also needs a massive revision to fit a new storyline; the actual first, second, and third books (Sowing, Quelling, and Razing) in her dystopian/fantasy series (The Purification Era); the first in a companion trilogy set in the same world as The Purification Era; and a Cinderella retelling with fey. When she’s not writing, she’s usually Facebooking — ack! — or thinking about story stuff. Or exercising. Or eating ice cream, because life is short and ice cream is delicious.
Despite several of her writing friends once claiming she’s Canadian, she is not; a native to Ohio, she now lives in Tennessee with her dear husband, their goofy dog, and their small army of rescue cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
February 5, 2019
I read this for SFPBO. It was chosen to be one of the 10 finalists, and I did not like it. There’s a gratuitous overuse of violence and rape towards women, among other things. Like there was sooooooo much misery for the main character that it became torture to read (no pun intended) and I just stopped caring.
I don’t have anything against violence. Love it. I love action and violent movies, but there comes a point where it just becomes unwarranted and I reached my point halfway through.
The writing is readable, neither terrible nor totally immersing me with the skill of the writing. The world building was lacking. There were few explanations of why things were the way they were. In the beginning there was a torture scene of a thing called an itzalin, and we never really learn what it was.
It’s just your standard chaotic fantasy setting with suppressed people; there was nothing memorable about it. There’s a crazy mother with no explanation of why she was that way.
The main characters’ names are Ariliah and Rabreah. A mouthful to say, much less to remember. I struggled to tell them apart throughout the beginning of the book, but then I found an easy way to tell them apart. Ariliah doesn’t do anything. I really cannot even recount what happened in the first half of the book. It was just so freaking boring.
I couldn’t deal with the male characters. The one “good guy” in the book is, what Rabreah calls herself, a “creepy asshole.” He puts her through “trials” where she’s tortured, and says loving things like “In all the time I’ve watched you, you were never as beautiful as you are right now with your blood dripping on the floor.” Oh yeah it’s all to toughen her up and shit. Nah. There are other ways of doing that. Read the excellent Poison Study for an example.
There are also such gems as when he threatens to rape her, like “You can resist all you want, Rabreah. You can lie until I reduce your body to a bloody, useless pulp and your flesh litters the floor. You can cling to whatever story of innocence you think I’ll fall for. But by the end of our time here, you’ll tell me what I want to know.” He shifted closer and eased the blade up my thigh, drawing in a quavering breath. “There are such delicious ways to extract answers from a woman.” Mmm. My knees are turning to jelly already. And there’s nothing like getting someone’s loyalty through telling her what’ll happen if she doesn’t behave. “And they won’t be nearly as gentle as I was. They’ll bring her in and torture her in front of you. They’ll rape her in front of you. They’ll rape you.”
I don't really believe or care about trigger warnings, but if you're the slightest sensitive to that sort of stuff, I'd stay away.
I don’t have anything against violence. Love it. I love action and violent movies, but there comes a point where it just becomes unwarranted and I reached my point halfway through.
The writing is readable, neither terrible nor totally immersing me with the skill of the writing. The world building was lacking. There were few explanations of why things were the way they were. In the beginning there was a torture scene of a thing called an itzalin, and we never really learn what it was.
It’s just your standard chaotic fantasy setting with suppressed people; there was nothing memorable about it. There’s a crazy mother with no explanation of why she was that way.
The main characters’ names are Ariliah and Rabreah. A mouthful to say, much less to remember. I struggled to tell them apart throughout the beginning of the book, but then I found an easy way to tell them apart. Ariliah doesn’t do anything. I really cannot even recount what happened in the first half of the book. It was just so freaking boring.
I couldn’t deal with the male characters. The one “good guy” in the book is, what Rabreah calls herself, a “creepy asshole.” He puts her through “trials” where she’s tortured, and says loving things like “In all the time I’ve watched you, you were never as beautiful as you are right now with your blood dripping on the floor.” Oh yeah it’s all to toughen her up and shit. Nah. There are other ways of doing that. Read the excellent Poison Study for an example.
There are also such gems as when he threatens to rape her, like “You can resist all you want, Rabreah. You can lie until I reduce your body to a bloody, useless pulp and your flesh litters the floor. You can cling to whatever story of innocence you think I’ll fall for. But by the end of our time here, you’ll tell me what I want to know.” He shifted closer and eased the blade up my thigh, drawing in a quavering breath. “There are such delicious ways to extract answers from a woman.” Mmm. My knees are turning to jelly already. And there’s nothing like getting someone’s loyalty through telling her what’ll happen if she doesn’t behave. “And they won’t be nearly as gentle as I was. They’ll bring her in and torture her in front of you. They’ll rape her in front of you. They’ll rape you.”
I don't really believe or care about trigger warnings, but if you're the slightest sensitive to that sort of stuff, I'd stay away.
April 9, 2019
Sowing is one of those books that seems problematic on the surface and then just gets more and more so the deeper you get into it. Most of those issues stem from the fact that it comes across as rape/oppression fantasy. It seemed to me that the author was trying to write a grimdark YA, but her version of that is framed specifically through the denigration of women and girls. If that’s not enough, the world was lightly done. You can’t see any further than what’s on the page in front of you, with the staged suffering of women the centre of it all.
This is a dystopian society where hierarchy is everything and the threat from Outside allows for all manner of abuses. It says a lot about a book when all you can remember from it is sexual violence and all the ways rape is used as a plot point. Need a character to hate the cruel city rulers? Raped. Need a scene to test the mettle of a potential rebel recruit? Kissed/touched inappropriately/threatened with rape. Need an unequal system of intermarriage? Borderline child brides. Which suggests rape except there’s big deal made about how the girls want it. Not in a ‘only means of escaping my terrible situation’ kind of way, but in a ‘wow, these men are actually nice if you get to know them’ kind of way. Hmmm.
It’s all so tiresome and unnecessary. If there was any depth to the characters or plot, it might have provided some balance. But it’s just not there. The author mistakes brutality and misery for profundity, failing to offer anything more than a shrug of the shoulders and a women get hurt, what can you do except profit from it attitude… I’m out.
Read for SPFBO
This is a dystopian society where hierarchy is everything and the threat from Outside allows for all manner of abuses. It says a lot about a book when all you can remember from it is sexual violence and all the ways rape is used as a plot point. Need a character to hate the cruel city rulers? Raped. Need a scene to test the mettle of a potential rebel recruit? Kissed/touched inappropriately/threatened with rape. Need an unequal system of intermarriage? Borderline child brides. Which suggests rape except there’s big deal made about how the girls want it. Not in a ‘only means of escaping my terrible situation’ kind of way, but in a ‘wow, these men are actually nice if you get to know them’ kind of way. Hmmm.
It’s all so tiresome and unnecessary. If there was any depth to the characters or plot, it might have provided some balance. But it’s just not there. The author mistakes brutality and misery for profundity, failing to offer anything more than a shrug of the shoulders and a women get hurt, what can you do except profit from it attitude… I’m out.
Read for SPFBO
July 18, 2017
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author, Angie Grigaliunas, for an honest review.
Opinion:
The nerd in me is losing its s**t right now.
I don’t think you guys understand the painstaking dilemma that is like a raging tsunami building up inside me right now. How am I supposed to go on after this?! There is supposed to be EIGHT books in this series, and I don’t even know if I can wait for book TWO! I’M GOING TO LOSE IT!
I don’t think I can go on…*sigh*.
The Itzalin are a race of creatures hell-bent on destroying humans, but for years they have been kept at bay by the Hulcondans. Though Rabreah knows that her city would be destroyed with the Hulcondans, she finds disgust in watching the soldiers do whatever they please. She has witnessed them spread lies about women in order to ruin their name, and has herself been the victim of it. To Rabreah, the Hulcondans are a corrupt group that need to be taken down. But disobeying or speaking ill of them can lead to one’s death, so Rabreah must be careful. Not only does Rabreah seek freedom for herself and the young girls that are forced to marry these soldiers, but for her younger sister, Ariliah, who suffers daily abuse from their mother. But in Ariliah’s eyes, the Hulcondans keep them safe and deserve respect for what they do. As rebel posters begin being posted around the city and terrorists are brought forward, neither girl knows if they are safe anymore.
I started out 2017 with the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, which I know, was probably the stupidest idea ever. I mean the series is UH-mazing. Everything else just…only slightly had the ability to trickle awe and intrigue down my throat and into my pit of happiness and sheer excitement which I assume is somewhere…in my…body? I don’t know. Anyways. What I’m trying to spew out of my mumbling fingers onto this keyboard is this: We’re on some next level stuff right here ladies and gents.
Angie Grigaliunas has just ruined my life. Did I sleep last night? No. Can I think about anything else besides Sorek, Ariliah, Rabreah, and Lord Masrekah? Um…no. I’m at work right now guys, I’M NOT EVEN WORKING! I think I need rehab. Or maybe an insane asylum, since my life is now revolving around a fictional world and people that aren’t there. Sowing was SO GREAT! Incredible, amazing, and actually different! I read through this book like my life depended on it, and I need to read MORE. I can’t find ONE bad thing to say about this story, not one. The writing is detailed and even-paced, the characters are wonderfully developed and all possess a different quirk, and the plot is OUT OF THIS WORLD.
This author has done a wonderful job of tearing my opinion into two different directions. This story flips back and forth between Rabreah and Ariliah, who prove to be VERY different people. Rabreah has SERIOUS trust issues around the Hulcondans, or even men for that matter. If you look at this girl wrong, she’s like a wild shark on land that just got a whiff of blood. Needless to say, the girl has NO problem taking care of herself. Ariliah starts out being very different. She obeys her superiors, keeps her head down, and doesn’t speak very much to anyone except her sister. She views the Hulcondans as her saviors and people she can trust, and is fascinated with the idea of one day marrying one. As Rabreah makes her way into joining the rebel group, it is unknown to Ariliah. I am really starting to wonder how Ariliah will take that news…and which side she will choose. Especially since a certain Hulcondan soldier is showing interest in her. I am torn between the opinion that both of these characters have. Some of the Hulcondan are seriously messed up people, but some seem to be genuine and actually care.
We have to talk about Sorek. Ladies…you can let go of those fictional boyfriends of yours from other books now. They do NOT compare to the arrogance and complete pain in the ass that is Sorek. I mean, this guy has it all. He’s a complete badass when it comes to being a warrior, and he puts the sarcasm level through the roof. Even I was thinking to myself “Geez man, tone it down”. Sorek becomes a big part in this story, and I don’t want to give his role away and spoil it for you guys. There is OBVIOUSLY going to be a hot little romance between Sorek and Rabreah, once Rabreah stops thinking every man wants to abuse her. Our little Ariliah also begins to find herself in the flirting midst with a Hulcondan, and I am praying that his ends well for her. I am SO glad that Angie Grigaliunas didn’t do that typical author thing when it comes to romances. Oh you know what I mean guys. Waiting until book 2 or 3 to let the reader see even smidge of love in the air. Ugh…how I loathe that.
Of course the reader is left with an amazingly RUTHLESS cliffhanger at the end of book one, and why not? I mean this author already stabbed my soul with bliss, why not drag the knife in a little deeper? Right? Right. But you know what is really interesting about this story? The author has decided to focus more on the plot and characters, and less on the overall setting. I know that sounds a little insane considering this falls into the Fantasy genre, but somehow…this author has made it WORK. I honestly don’t think I can tell you much about the city and the exact point in time we are looking at here, but it is all a little guess work. I like the fact that she doesn’t start explaining simple things like this until WAY later in the story, which is something I have never come across before.
Basically guys, you need to get this book. Seriously. GO BUY THIS RIGHT NOW. If you loved Throne of Glass, then this is EXACTLY the next series that you need to get addicted to. Though I don’t know how I will, I will somehow find a way to patiently wait until the next books are released. This series is going to be EPIC, and I am so happy to have found it so early on. Mark my words guys, The Purification Era books are going to BLOW UP. You better be on the train when it does.
Opinion:
The nerd in me is losing its s**t right now.
I don’t think you guys understand the painstaking dilemma that is like a raging tsunami building up inside me right now. How am I supposed to go on after this?! There is supposed to be EIGHT books in this series, and I don’t even know if I can wait for book TWO! I’M GOING TO LOSE IT!
I don’t think I can go on…*sigh*.
The Itzalin are a race of creatures hell-bent on destroying humans, but for years they have been kept at bay by the Hulcondans. Though Rabreah knows that her city would be destroyed with the Hulcondans, she finds disgust in watching the soldiers do whatever they please. She has witnessed them spread lies about women in order to ruin their name, and has herself been the victim of it. To Rabreah, the Hulcondans are a corrupt group that need to be taken down. But disobeying or speaking ill of them can lead to one’s death, so Rabreah must be careful. Not only does Rabreah seek freedom for herself and the young girls that are forced to marry these soldiers, but for her younger sister, Ariliah, who suffers daily abuse from their mother. But in Ariliah’s eyes, the Hulcondans keep them safe and deserve respect for what they do. As rebel posters begin being posted around the city and terrorists are brought forward, neither girl knows if they are safe anymore.
I started out 2017 with the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, which I know, was probably the stupidest idea ever. I mean the series is UH-mazing. Everything else just…only slightly had the ability to trickle awe and intrigue down my throat and into my pit of happiness and sheer excitement which I assume is somewhere…in my…body? I don’t know. Anyways. What I’m trying to spew out of my mumbling fingers onto this keyboard is this: We’re on some next level stuff right here ladies and gents.
Angie Grigaliunas has just ruined my life. Did I sleep last night? No. Can I think about anything else besides Sorek, Ariliah, Rabreah, and Lord Masrekah? Um…no. I’m at work right now guys, I’M NOT EVEN WORKING! I think I need rehab. Or maybe an insane asylum, since my life is now revolving around a fictional world and people that aren’t there. Sowing was SO GREAT! Incredible, amazing, and actually different! I read through this book like my life depended on it, and I need to read MORE. I can’t find ONE bad thing to say about this story, not one. The writing is detailed and even-paced, the characters are wonderfully developed and all possess a different quirk, and the plot is OUT OF THIS WORLD.
This author has done a wonderful job of tearing my opinion into two different directions. This story flips back and forth between Rabreah and Ariliah, who prove to be VERY different people. Rabreah has SERIOUS trust issues around the Hulcondans, or even men for that matter. If you look at this girl wrong, she’s like a wild shark on land that just got a whiff of blood. Needless to say, the girl has NO problem taking care of herself. Ariliah starts out being very different. She obeys her superiors, keeps her head down, and doesn’t speak very much to anyone except her sister. She views the Hulcondans as her saviors and people she can trust, and is fascinated with the idea of one day marrying one. As Rabreah makes her way into joining the rebel group, it is unknown to Ariliah. I am really starting to wonder how Ariliah will take that news…and which side she will choose. Especially since a certain Hulcondan soldier is showing interest in her. I am torn between the opinion that both of these characters have. Some of the Hulcondan are seriously messed up people, but some seem to be genuine and actually care.
We have to talk about Sorek. Ladies…you can let go of those fictional boyfriends of yours from other books now. They do NOT compare to the arrogance and complete pain in the ass that is Sorek. I mean, this guy has it all. He’s a complete badass when it comes to being a warrior, and he puts the sarcasm level through the roof. Even I was thinking to myself “Geez man, tone it down”. Sorek becomes a big part in this story, and I don’t want to give his role away and spoil it for you guys. There is OBVIOUSLY going to be a hot little romance between Sorek and Rabreah, once Rabreah stops thinking every man wants to abuse her. Our little Ariliah also begins to find herself in the flirting midst with a Hulcondan, and I am praying that his ends well for her. I am SO glad that Angie Grigaliunas didn’t do that typical author thing when it comes to romances. Oh you know what I mean guys. Waiting until book 2 or 3 to let the reader see even smidge of love in the air. Ugh…how I loathe that.
Of course the reader is left with an amazingly RUTHLESS cliffhanger at the end of book one, and why not? I mean this author already stabbed my soul with bliss, why not drag the knife in a little deeper? Right? Right. But you know what is really interesting about this story? The author has decided to focus more on the plot and characters, and less on the overall setting. I know that sounds a little insane considering this falls into the Fantasy genre, but somehow…this author has made it WORK. I honestly don’t think I can tell you much about the city and the exact point in time we are looking at here, but it is all a little guess work. I like the fact that she doesn’t start explaining simple things like this until WAY later in the story, which is something I have never come across before.
Basically guys, you need to get this book. Seriously. GO BUY THIS RIGHT NOW. If you loved Throne of Glass, then this is EXACTLY the next series that you need to get addicted to. Though I don’t know how I will, I will somehow find a way to patiently wait until the next books are released. This series is going to be EPIC, and I am so happy to have found it so early on. Mark my words guys, The Purification Era books are going to BLOW UP. You better be on the train when it does.
February 11, 2019
Welp. These are always difficult. It can be challenging to review a book that you dislike, but I’m going to give it a good try.
The Sowing is told in the first person from the point of view of two sisters, Ariliah and Rabreah. They are a part of the poorest class of people in a city that’s split into two main peoples: the Hulcondans, and the… uh… the not Hulcondans? The Hulcondans being a group of soldiers who are the ruling class of the city. The people that the Hulcondans oppress have no title that I could find.
This city is at war with, (or at the very least has a wall around it to protect them from creatures known as the itzalin), who are humanoid and are at least moderately intelligent beings with grey skin who attack the people of the city (and indiscriminately rape human women who they can breed with). We don’t see many of these creatures, the majority of them are enslaved by the humans, but we are told that many are held in a part of the city where lawbreaking citizens are sent for punishment - some people go in and never come back out. But a rebellion is brewing, and the oppressed are starting to rise up.
The first problem I had here was the worldbuilding. Meaning there was very, very little of it. We know that this all happens in a city with a population in the thousands, called Totta, and that it is a very oppressed society. There was no indication at all how this oppression came about, or why, other than the Hulcondans ‘protect’ the people from the itzalin, who supposedly attack the city indiscriminately, despite them not doing so once during the entire story. So the ‘enemy’ and their war against them is never really given history aside from pretty much ‘once upon a time there were evil creatures who made these lesser but also evil creatures that the Hulcondans protect everyone from’. Ariliah is pretty severely physically and emotionally abused by her mother, and while there is technically a reason for it, it’s never clearly explained. I only know it from her mother’s comments in passing, and even then, there’s no explanation on if it’s true or not.
The rest of my issues with the book were largely content related. There are a few events that just didn’t sit well with me.
It did have a couple of pros: it read fairly quickly, and it was an easy read. This means that I didn’t actually have too much trouble picking it up and reading it through to the end (though I admittedly had to take a few breaks). There were bumps (obviously), there are many, many highlights on my kindle with frantic capital letter notes attached, and there is definitely a husband in my house who had the plot of this book explained to him and was left possibly more baffled than I am… but it was a fairly quick, easy read all the same. I also admittedly thought that Rabreah and Ariliah were well written characters, in that they grew as the book progressed. Ariliah is especially prone to stuttering when faced with intimidating people, and so she and Rabreah were each unique from the other, which doesn’t always happen in books told from more than one first person perspective. It was formatted nicely and there weren’t any glaring errors in it either, which is nice. I don’t really score those things because… well, unless it’s a constant thing, I don’t find that they matter to my enjoyment of a book. I mostly score for my overall enjoyment of a book. This is a nice looking book, all told, and that counts for something here.
Books that make me seriously consider the furious defenestration of my kindle are not a good time for me, in general. But, and this is important, this is entirely subjective. This book made it to the SPFBO finals, which means that someone, or a few someones liked it. I’ve seen more than one favorable review, so again, all of this is entirely subjective. Unfortunately, most of it wasn’t my cup of tea, as I’m sure is obvious. I don’t mind books with violence, or rape, or even baby killing if those events have a clear purpose in the story. I can think of one that had all 3 right off the top of my head that I gave 5 stars to recently, but this book did not hit that mark. The world fell flat to me because it left so much unexplained, there was so much unnecessary abuse and assault that seemed to be there only for shock value or to prove how shitty this place is to live in despite that being obvious, and pointless bits of plot that didn’t seem to add anything important to the story whatsoever and were only there to fill space in between larger events.
So yeah. Here we are. We can’t win them all, amirite? 2/10 stars.
The Sowing is told in the first person from the point of view of two sisters, Ariliah and Rabreah. They are a part of the poorest class of people in a city that’s split into two main peoples: the Hulcondans, and the… uh… the not Hulcondans? The Hulcondans being a group of soldiers who are the ruling class of the city. The people that the Hulcondans oppress have no title that I could find.
This city is at war with, (or at the very least has a wall around it to protect them from creatures known as the itzalin), who are humanoid and are at least moderately intelligent beings with grey skin who attack the people of the city (and indiscriminately rape human women who they can breed with). We don’t see many of these creatures, the majority of them are enslaved by the humans, but we are told that many are held in a part of the city where lawbreaking citizens are sent for punishment - some people go in and never come back out. But a rebellion is brewing, and the oppressed are starting to rise up.
The first problem I had here was the worldbuilding. Meaning there was very, very little of it. We know that this all happens in a city with a population in the thousands, called Totta, and that it is a very oppressed society. There was no indication at all how this oppression came about, or why, other than the Hulcondans ‘protect’ the people from the itzalin, who supposedly attack the city indiscriminately, despite them not doing so once during the entire story. So the ‘enemy’ and their war against them is never really given history aside from pretty much ‘once upon a time there were evil creatures who made these lesser but also evil creatures that the Hulcondans protect everyone from’. Ariliah is pretty severely physically and emotionally abused by her mother, and while there is technically a reason for it, it’s never clearly explained. I only know it from her mother’s comments in passing, and even then, there’s no explanation on if it’s true or not.
The rest of my issues with the book were largely content related. There are a few events that just didn’t sit well with me.
It did have a couple of pros: it read fairly quickly, and it was an easy read. This means that I didn’t actually have too much trouble picking it up and reading it through to the end (though I admittedly had to take a few breaks). There were bumps (obviously), there are many, many highlights on my kindle with frantic capital letter notes attached, and there is definitely a husband in my house who had the plot of this book explained to him and was left possibly more baffled than I am… but it was a fairly quick, easy read all the same. I also admittedly thought that Rabreah and Ariliah were well written characters, in that they grew as the book progressed. Ariliah is especially prone to stuttering when faced with intimidating people, and so she and Rabreah were each unique from the other, which doesn’t always happen in books told from more than one first person perspective. It was formatted nicely and there weren’t any glaring errors in it either, which is nice. I don’t really score those things because… well, unless it’s a constant thing, I don’t find that they matter to my enjoyment of a book. I mostly score for my overall enjoyment of a book. This is a nice looking book, all told, and that counts for something here.
Books that make me seriously consider the furious defenestration of my kindle are not a good time for me, in general. But, and this is important, this is entirely subjective. This book made it to the SPFBO finals, which means that someone, or a few someones liked it. I’ve seen more than one favorable review, so again, all of this is entirely subjective. Unfortunately, most of it wasn’t my cup of tea, as I’m sure is obvious. I don’t mind books with violence, or rape, or even baby killing if those events have a clear purpose in the story. I can think of one that had all 3 right off the top of my head that I gave 5 stars to recently, but this book did not hit that mark. The world fell flat to me because it left so much unexplained, there was so much unnecessary abuse and assault that seemed to be there only for shock value or to prove how shitty this place is to live in despite that being obvious, and pointless bits of plot that didn’t seem to add anything important to the story whatsoever and were only there to fill space in between larger events.
So yeah. Here we are. We can’t win them all, amirite? 2/10 stars.
January 28, 2019
* This is one of the SPFBO finalists *
I picked this up to read and was a little unsure what I would get as the cover looks almost like a cult horror, and there were certainly elements of a cult mentality throughout this. I wouldn't say this is predominantly fantasy, although it is an alternate world, there is little magic in this and it's just in the form of a beaten down slave race who are outside the limits of the city where the main focus of the story is set. This is a dark book, with a LOT of rape, abuse, control, lack of freedom, and more. The people are beaten down, and there are ritual burnings and punishments for any who break the rules. There is definitely an underlying sense of dystopia through the book, and it's a world with a lot of terror.
We pick up the story following two sisters, Rabreah and Ariliah. Ariliah is the younger and she is physically and mentally abused throughout the story by their mother. She is constantly trying to stay out of trouble, and she is a good girl too, but her mother is insane. Rabreah is the older sister who cares so much for Ariliah that she is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her away from her mother and help her escape. When we start the book it seems that there have been some treasonous posters which are trying to incite rebellion, and the sisters are both shocked by the news as a vicious time happened just three or so years back, and they thought that the community had moved past it. Whilst Ariliah thinks that the guards will protect her, Rabreah has decided to take things into her own hands and try to see what she can do to fight back against her oppressors.
As I said before, this book is dark. It's actually the sort of book with a whole lot of drama and a lot of sarcastic romance, but it's not really a book I think I will find that memorable with time. I actually read the whole thing in a day in one sitting, but I think that was because it was easy reading, and although it's quite dark, it's got a lot of funny moments between Rabreah and one of the other characters. It reminded me of a book where you can just devour it, but then you may end up not really retaining all the details with time.
Overall, it was a fun read and I think I would still go on to read the next one, but the treatment of women and girls in the society wasn't great, and it's brutal for sure. I actually think we could have been shown a little more about the origins of the city and how it has evolved because I didn't feel like I really got much of a backstory and the 'baddies' were just kind of told that they were bad rather than truly showing us, but overall they didn't feel as scary and oppressive as they might have done. Maybe this is intentional set up for later, who knows :)
I ended up giving this 3*s overall which is 6/10 for SPFBO. An interesting read but not one that stands out to me in comparison to some of the other SUPER strong finalists, but then this is a very tough year!
I picked this up to read and was a little unsure what I would get as the cover looks almost like a cult horror, and there were certainly elements of a cult mentality throughout this. I wouldn't say this is predominantly fantasy, although it is an alternate world, there is little magic in this and it's just in the form of a beaten down slave race who are outside the limits of the city where the main focus of the story is set. This is a dark book, with a LOT of rape, abuse, control, lack of freedom, and more. The people are beaten down, and there are ritual burnings and punishments for any who break the rules. There is definitely an underlying sense of dystopia through the book, and it's a world with a lot of terror.
We pick up the story following two sisters, Rabreah and Ariliah. Ariliah is the younger and she is physically and mentally abused throughout the story by their mother. She is constantly trying to stay out of trouble, and she is a good girl too, but her mother is insane. Rabreah is the older sister who cares so much for Ariliah that she is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her away from her mother and help her escape. When we start the book it seems that there have been some treasonous posters which are trying to incite rebellion, and the sisters are both shocked by the news as a vicious time happened just three or so years back, and they thought that the community had moved past it. Whilst Ariliah thinks that the guards will protect her, Rabreah has decided to take things into her own hands and try to see what she can do to fight back against her oppressors.
As I said before, this book is dark. It's actually the sort of book with a whole lot of drama and a lot of sarcastic romance, but it's not really a book I think I will find that memorable with time. I actually read the whole thing in a day in one sitting, but I think that was because it was easy reading, and although it's quite dark, it's got a lot of funny moments between Rabreah and one of the other characters. It reminded me of a book where you can just devour it, but then you may end up not really retaining all the details with time.
Overall, it was a fun read and I think I would still go on to read the next one, but the treatment of women and girls in the society wasn't great, and it's brutal for sure. I actually think we could have been shown a little more about the origins of the city and how it has evolved because I didn't feel like I really got much of a backstory and the 'baddies' were just kind of told that they were bad rather than truly showing us, but overall they didn't feel as scary and oppressive as they might have done. Maybe this is intentional set up for later, who knows :)
I ended up giving this 3*s overall which is 6/10 for SPFBO. An interesting read but not one that stands out to me in comparison to some of the other SUPER strong finalists, but then this is a very tough year!
February 6, 2019
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one since it was labelled a YA novel, but what I got was something that was much more adult than YA, in my personal opinion. There are a lot of very dark topics and a rape scene that didn’t settle well with me, it felt much more like an adult grim dark than a YA novel. It was oddly juxtaposed with an aversion to cursing, with the characters being told to “watch their language” which bothered me a bit.
This is a world where the people are extremely oppressed, the government controls everything and it’s dangerous to speak out. There is a resistance movement, and the plot focuses on two sisters who are involved with said resistance. The two sisters are very different from one another, the older sister is much more outspoken, has more of a backbone, and is the ‘stronger’ of the two. The other one has been sucked up into the idea that the authorities are there to keep everyone safe, and that it’s wrong to question it. Considering just how oppressed they are I was surprised that Ariliah goes along with the status quo and even seems to find comfort in her own oppression. So, all in all I identified more with her older sister, Rabreah. My biggest problem here is there isn’t much an explanation to why they are so oppressed, there wasn’t any background of how these people came into power, and why before now there hadn’t been an uprising. When we do meet the resistance I wasn’t all that enthused, the leader of the movement, Sorek, is a pretty horrible person who uses sexual abuse to try and find out whether or not people are worthy to join up. It didn’t endear me to their cause and made it feel like both sides were wrong.
The world building was also lacking for me, in addition to having very little background to the way the government was set up, there’s also very little explanation for the Itzilans, a non-human race that’s feared and shunned. We don’t know much about them other than they are violent and frequently rape farm girls. The Itzilans are one of the only fantasy aspects of the book, and although I can love low-fantasy books like Abercrombie, I tend to prefer high fantasy with lots of magic and fantasy creatures. What makes a low fantasy book work for me is great world building around the small bits of fantasy that are present, and there just wasn’t much of that here.
The book was written well, so my highest score is going to be in the writing and pacing section, I was able to read this in a day or two so it made for quick reading despite the fact that I felt that this book was largely a build up of things to come. There wasn’t a lot of plot in the first book, and since this is an 8 book series I suspect that action comes later on in the story. However, as a stand alone for the competition I felt like there wasn’t enough there to keep me interested.
Ratings:
Plot: 8/15
Characters: 8/15
World Building: 7/15
Writing: 11/15
Pacing: 11/15
Originality: 8/15
Personal Enjoyment: 2/10
Final Score: 55/100 or 5.5/10 for SPFBO
This is a world where the people are extremely oppressed, the government controls everything and it’s dangerous to speak out. There is a resistance movement, and the plot focuses on two sisters who are involved with said resistance. The two sisters are very different from one another, the older sister is much more outspoken, has more of a backbone, and is the ‘stronger’ of the two. The other one has been sucked up into the idea that the authorities are there to keep everyone safe, and that it’s wrong to question it. Considering just how oppressed they are I was surprised that Ariliah goes along with the status quo and even seems to find comfort in her own oppression. So, all in all I identified more with her older sister, Rabreah. My biggest problem here is there isn’t much an explanation to why they are so oppressed, there wasn’t any background of how these people came into power, and why before now there hadn’t been an uprising. When we do meet the resistance I wasn’t all that enthused, the leader of the movement, Sorek, is a pretty horrible person who uses sexual abuse to try and find out whether or not people are worthy to join up. It didn’t endear me to their cause and made it feel like both sides were wrong.
The world building was also lacking for me, in addition to having very little background to the way the government was set up, there’s also very little explanation for the Itzilans, a non-human race that’s feared and shunned. We don’t know much about them other than they are violent and frequently rape farm girls. The Itzilans are one of the only fantasy aspects of the book, and although I can love low-fantasy books like Abercrombie, I tend to prefer high fantasy with lots of magic and fantasy creatures. What makes a low fantasy book work for me is great world building around the small bits of fantasy that are present, and there just wasn’t much of that here.
The book was written well, so my highest score is going to be in the writing and pacing section, I was able to read this in a day or two so it made for quick reading despite the fact that I felt that this book was largely a build up of things to come. There wasn’t a lot of plot in the first book, and since this is an 8 book series I suspect that action comes later on in the story. However, as a stand alone for the competition I felt like there wasn’t enough there to keep me interested.
Ratings:
Plot: 8/15
Characters: 8/15
World Building: 7/15
Writing: 11/15
Pacing: 11/15
Originality: 8/15
Personal Enjoyment: 2/10
Final Score: 55/100 or 5.5/10 for SPFBO
August 7, 2016
*I was provided an advanced reader copy for review**
I got this as an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy). Angie is truly a talented author, and her creative world-building talents are shown in the first instalment of her fantasy series Sowing. A dystopian society told in the POV’s of two sisters of widely differing backgrounds, it highlights the cruelty of the world, while at the same time making you want to know more. I spent the book wondering what the outside world must be like, because it was very interesting and drew me in. Limited third person narrative is difficult to do right, and the author performs admirably in this regard. Not once are you spoonfed information, nor does it infodump lore about the world, something hard to do in this genre. It kind of drops you in the middle of the conflict and lets you piece it together. Not many authors have the guts to do that, and it’s done fairly well.
Taking place during the time of a deadly shadow war by terrorists, the occupying Hulcondans are shown in a different light by the two female POV protagonists. Rabreah is the rebel, more brutal of the two sisters. I have to say, her attitude towards life can be very grating to read, but it’s written so well you cannot help but like her despite my personal feelings towards the character. But she can whine and bitch a lot, so this may turn you off. I certainly wanted to appear in the world and give her a few punches to the face. But hey, that's good writing to make me want that!
Ariliah was my favourite POV because it shows how gentle and broken she is, struggling with the terrorists as well as her own war at home. She's sheltered and naive, but that isn't such a bad thing. The supporting cast is excellent too, my favourite being the sarcastic, dangerous rebel Sorek. This story pulls no punches and some scenes are quite distressing, but not once did I think it ever went overboard. There’s one particular scene which is uncomfortable and disturbing, but I won’t spoil it. It’s that good.
Overall, this is an excellent read, I recommend it for anybody. It does have its flaws, and if the parts which complimented those flaws were written less well, It would have dragged down the review score. But they didn't, which makes up for it. I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5, but rounding up because I finished the book in one sitting; very few books can do that to me. Cannot wait for Part 2!
I got this as an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy). Angie is truly a talented author, and her creative world-building talents are shown in the first instalment of her fantasy series Sowing. A dystopian society told in the POV’s of two sisters of widely differing backgrounds, it highlights the cruelty of the world, while at the same time making you want to know more. I spent the book wondering what the outside world must be like, because it was very interesting and drew me in. Limited third person narrative is difficult to do right, and the author performs admirably in this regard. Not once are you spoonfed information, nor does it infodump lore about the world, something hard to do in this genre. It kind of drops you in the middle of the conflict and lets you piece it together. Not many authors have the guts to do that, and it’s done fairly well.
Taking place during the time of a deadly shadow war by terrorists, the occupying Hulcondans are shown in a different light by the two female POV protagonists. Rabreah is the rebel, more brutal of the two sisters. I have to say, her attitude towards life can be very grating to read, but it’s written so well you cannot help but like her despite my personal feelings towards the character. But she can whine and bitch a lot, so this may turn you off. I certainly wanted to appear in the world and give her a few punches to the face. But hey, that's good writing to make me want that!
Ariliah was my favourite POV because it shows how gentle and broken she is, struggling with the terrorists as well as her own war at home. She's sheltered and naive, but that isn't such a bad thing. The supporting cast is excellent too, my favourite being the sarcastic, dangerous rebel Sorek. This story pulls no punches and some scenes are quite distressing, but not once did I think it ever went overboard. There’s one particular scene which is uncomfortable and disturbing, but I won’t spoil it. It’s that good.
Overall, this is an excellent read, I recommend it for anybody. It does have its flaws, and if the parts which complimented those flaws were written less well, It would have dragged down the review score. But they didn't, which makes up for it. I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5, but rounding up because I finished the book in one sitting; very few books can do that to me. Cannot wait for Part 2!
Read
December 11, 2018I've not read this book yet, but it is one of ten finalists in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO), selected from 300 entries. So it must be good!
Find out more about the contest here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Find out more about the contest here:
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
January 14, 2019
DNF (my first of the year). I just could not seem to get into the story or care about any character. Oh Well...
July 3, 2016
Dystopia YA books are all the rage. They all seem to have a similar theme, Government absolute power, except for a few things, like they educate their people into thinking they may have hope, they are smart, and whatever have yous. This is not that!
Sowing reminds me of what North Korea looks like, except set in medieval times.
Sowing follows two sisters with two very different ideas of the world they live in, one is defiant while the other believes the people in charge are truly saving them. Seeing the world with two views points made this book that much better. As i'm not a big fan of point of view changes. Angie seem to understand deep human emotion, and you feel her story in ways not many other authors have made me feel.
Her story may have no big sword and shield battles, and it may seem "slow" to others who are used to running, jumping, fighting, and big crazy battles. The battle that rages in Sowing is on a psychological level that beats any big battles I have read.
I feel very lucky to have been given an early copy to review, and I will be picking up a hard copy when it is released.
Sowing reminds me of what North Korea looks like, except set in medieval times.
Sowing follows two sisters with two very different ideas of the world they live in, one is defiant while the other believes the people in charge are truly saving them. Seeing the world with two views points made this book that much better. As i'm not a big fan of point of view changes. Angie seem to understand deep human emotion, and you feel her story in ways not many other authors have made me feel.
Her story may have no big sword and shield battles, and it may seem "slow" to others who are used to running, jumping, fighting, and big crazy battles. The battle that rages in Sowing is on a psychological level that beats any big battles I have read.
I feel very lucky to have been given an early copy to review, and I will be picking up a hard copy when it is released.
June 27, 2016
I received this advanced copy for review and I did not realize the treat I was in for! The story had me hooked from the beginning. I absolutely love the depth of the characters and even though I am finished reading I am still trying to figure each of them out in my mind. I am looking forward to the next book to answer all of the mysteries and loose ends! I really feel the author was extremely clever in how she presented the characters and all their quirks and issues. She did an excellent job of presenting a realistic view of certain psychological problems that would result from the situations the characters had been through. The ending left me longing for more book.
August 7, 2016
The only reason I marked this as a 4* instead of 5, is because the first few chapters were confusing with a lot of characters introduced quickly and a lot happening. But, once it got going, and I got a better handle on who was who, I really got into the story. The Sowing switches back and forth between two sisters. The older sister Rabreah, waa hurt and humiliated in the past by the man who wanted to marry her. She has hardened her heart against all men, but also holds a lot of fear. Rabreah also holds herself as the sole protector of her younger sister, Ariliah. Ariliah has been beaten and tormented by her mother her whole life. She lives each day with her mother's cruel words affecting everything she does. The leaders/enforcers of the city are called Hulcondans. Ariliah believes what the lords say, and that everything they do is for the peace and protection of the people. Rabreah views everything with suspicion and hatred, especially since the man who once treated her so horribly is a Hulcondan and 2nd in command. She seeks to join the group of rebels that are trying to change things.
I think the author created very believable characters, and given them histories that align perfectly with their personalities and their actions. One sister- meek, timid, insecure, broken, but finds strength when others are hurt. The other sister-cold, hard, protective, yet fearful of anyone getting too close. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoyed the world she created, and I can't wait for Book 2.
I think the author created very believable characters, and given them histories that align perfectly with their personalities and their actions. One sister- meek, timid, insecure, broken, but finds strength when others are hurt. The other sister-cold, hard, protective, yet fearful of anyone getting too close. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoyed the world she created, and I can't wait for Book 2.
August 9, 2016
I'm going to start off with the good:
I have only the highest of praise for the world-building in this book. While we don't get a glimpse outside the city, we know everything there is to know about the culture, technology, and political situation of this one city. I felt like I got a very clear glimpse at every element of the small world in which these characters live, and it was very complete.
Character development was also very on-point! While Arililah's character bothered me a little (too "wimpy", dare I say?), Rabreah was a strong woman recovering from being broken. The story didn't focus too much on her emotional state as a result of her past, but there was enough to make me care about the characters. The other supporting characters (including the male protagonist/potential love interest) were well-developed and interesting. If these were all that mattered, this would be a five-star story.
Sadly, there is one element I felt the story lacked: action. I understand that this is a very character-driven story, but it still needed something to make me interested in those characters. I felt like it ended right at the end of the second act, when it could have been amped up a bit to some glorious climactic ending of some sort. I didn't get those heart-pounding, blood rushing final climax moments I was looking forward to.
That's not to say nothing happens throughout the book. There's plenty of drama and emotional highs and lows. It just felt incomplete, like the story ended before it was truly complete.
I have only the highest of praise for the world-building in this book. While we don't get a glimpse outside the city, we know everything there is to know about the culture, technology, and political situation of this one city. I felt like I got a very clear glimpse at every element of the small world in which these characters live, and it was very complete.
Character development was also very on-point! While Arililah's character bothered me a little (too "wimpy", dare I say?), Rabreah was a strong woman recovering from being broken. The story didn't focus too much on her emotional state as a result of her past, but there was enough to make me care about the characters. The other supporting characters (including the male protagonist/potential love interest) were well-developed and interesting. If these were all that mattered, this would be a five-star story.
Sadly, there is one element I felt the story lacked: action. I understand that this is a very character-driven story, but it still needed something to make me interested in those characters. I felt like it ended right at the end of the second act, when it could have been amped up a bit to some glorious climactic ending of some sort. I didn't get those heart-pounding, blood rushing final climax moments I was looking forward to.
That's not to say nothing happens throughout the book. There's plenty of drama and emotional highs and lows. It just felt incomplete, like the story ended before it was truly complete.
June 15, 2016
This is a fabulously well-crafted book. The world is detailed and well-realised, and the characters that inhabit it are very real, behaving like flawed human beings. They have huge depth and complexity, and there are so many shades of grey that at times you sympathise with those who are capable of bad things. I really enjoyed the two points of view of the two sisters who are the protagonists - they are very different people with their own thoughts and opinions, and this worked well to show the story through different eyes. It made the world truly three dimensional.
I devoured this book in a weekend and could barely put it down. I am very much looking forward to reading more in this extremely promising series by a talented writer.
I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I devoured this book in a weekend and could barely put it down. I am very much looking forward to reading more in this extremely promising series by a talented writer.
I received an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2018
While I read broadly, I rarely reach for dystopian YA fiction. I have nothing against the genre, but given the choice, I pick other things. That said, I rarely ignore Sarah Chorn’s opinions, and she’s just announced Sowing as her SPFBO 2018 finalist. As one of the supporting judges, I must read it anyway, so why wait?
The story takes place in the nation of Etholia, in a city walled from all around. Militarised Hulcondans rule the city and expect its citizens to follow ruthless policies. They can be cruel and abusive but they also provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the wall.
The dystopian scenario requires a rebellion, and one is just starting. Not yet city-wide but groups of rebels led by a mysterious Sorek try to shake highly regimented society. And here comes the twist. Grigaliunas doesn’t follow key characters on both sides of the barricade. Instead, she focuses on two sisters - Ariliah and Rabreah - who interact with change-makers. The novel is told in first-person chapters that alternate between their points of view.
Ari trusts Hulcondans and believes their rules will bring peace and safety. Rab despises them and dreams about ending their tyranny. She joins the underground resistance but soon she realises she doesn’t know the people she’s aligned herself with.
Sowing impressed me on many levels, namely character growth, in-depth study of trauma and emotional abuse, skilful showing of strong emotions. While the sisters were irritating and I couldn’t fully connect with them, they grew a lot. Each character feels three-dimensional, not only because of behaviour but also thanks to intriguing back stories and unique quirks.
Ariliah never gives non-verbal responses to direct questions, and she stutters, especially when nervous or afraid. Rabreah is always on the defensive and lashes out on people. Rebellion leader, Sorek, remains snarky and composed while one of oppressors, Masrekah displays a dry sense of humour.
Both sisters suffered emotional and physical abuse from their mother. They care for each other deeply and I would say sisterhood and their relations remain more important than the plot. Obviously, there’s a plot and larger scale-events but Grigaliunas doesn’t focus on them. Instead, she focuses on people involved in the conflict and their emotions. We get little action or graphic violence but the in-depth study of characters wrestling with their respective fears (in first person POV) makes Sowing surprisingly dark and intense.
I appreciate the lack of an evil villain. Both city Lords, Masrekah and Siserah, fit the role but there’s much more to them. I’m especially interested in manipulative Mas. I have a feeling that his icy pretense is just a mask. I definitely want to see how his arc develops. And I like him.
Then we have Sorek. He cares for people, but he will do anything to stop monsters. When needed, he’ll become one. He makes an impression of someone who doesn’t care whether he lives or dies as long as he reaches his goals.
I’ll stop before this review becomes too long (probably too late anyway). I’m thoroughly impressed with the book. Impressive intrigues and cleverly exploited character flaws make it exciting and memorable read. Fans of non-stop violent action may feel disappointed as not much is happening. If, however, you appreciate introspection and character study, you can’t go wrong with Sowing.
Disclaimer : I'm one Fantasy Book Critic SPFBO judges, but this review doesn't reflect our collective rating or opinion. It's just my opinion.
The story takes place in the nation of Etholia, in a city walled from all around. Militarised Hulcondans rule the city and expect its citizens to follow ruthless policies. They can be cruel and abusive but they also provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the wall.
The dystopian scenario requires a rebellion, and one is just starting. Not yet city-wide but groups of rebels led by a mysterious Sorek try to shake highly regimented society. And here comes the twist. Grigaliunas doesn’t follow key characters on both sides of the barricade. Instead, she focuses on two sisters - Ariliah and Rabreah - who interact with change-makers. The novel is told in first-person chapters that alternate between their points of view.
Ari trusts Hulcondans and believes their rules will bring peace and safety. Rab despises them and dreams about ending their tyranny. She joins the underground resistance but soon she realises she doesn’t know the people she’s aligned herself with.
Sowing impressed me on many levels, namely character growth, in-depth study of trauma and emotional abuse, skilful showing of strong emotions. While the sisters were irritating and I couldn’t fully connect with them, they grew a lot. Each character feels three-dimensional, not only because of behaviour but also thanks to intriguing back stories and unique quirks.
Ariliah never gives non-verbal responses to direct questions, and she stutters, especially when nervous or afraid. Rabreah is always on the defensive and lashes out on people. Rebellion leader, Sorek, remains snarky and composed while one of oppressors, Masrekah displays a dry sense of humour.
Both sisters suffered emotional and physical abuse from their mother. They care for each other deeply and I would say sisterhood and their relations remain more important than the plot. Obviously, there’s a plot and larger scale-events but Grigaliunas doesn’t focus on them. Instead, she focuses on people involved in the conflict and their emotions. We get little action or graphic violence but the in-depth study of characters wrestling with their respective fears (in first person POV) makes Sowing surprisingly dark and intense.
I appreciate the lack of an evil villain. Both city Lords, Masrekah and Siserah, fit the role but there’s much more to them. I’m especially interested in manipulative Mas. I have a feeling that his icy pretense is just a mask. I definitely want to see how his arc develops. And I like him.
Then we have Sorek. He cares for people, but he will do anything to stop monsters. When needed, he’ll become one. He makes an impression of someone who doesn’t care whether he lives or dies as long as he reaches his goals.
I’ll stop before this review becomes too long (probably too late anyway). I’m thoroughly impressed with the book. Impressive intrigues and cleverly exploited character flaws make it exciting and memorable read. Fans of non-stop violent action may feel disappointed as not much is happening. If, however, you appreciate introspection and character study, you can’t go wrong with Sowing.
Disclaimer : I'm one Fantasy Book Critic SPFBO judges, but this review doesn't reflect our collective rating or opinion. It's just my opinion.
June 23, 2016
I have never read a story quite like this one. Sowing is written in first person perspective but switches between two characters: Rabreah and Ariliah. Ariliah gives you a big picture of the world while Rabreah gives a smaller, more intimate one. This dichotomy allows for an amazing and unprecedented read. The conflict between the rebels and the Hulcondans is masterfully done.
I would have liked for the rebels to do more in the way of rebelling but other than that I loved it. Pick it up asap!
I would have liked for the rebels to do more in the way of rebelling but other than that I loved it. Pick it up asap!
August 2, 2022
'Sometimes it doesn't take but one event to change everything someone believes.'
I was a little doubtful about picking up this book, due to a few negative reviews pointing out issues that would have been a total no-go for me too.
Yes! I do read negative reviews, because I'm also one of those who dish them when the content of a book rubs me the wrong way. And yes. They would have made me give a wide berth to this book here too, had it not been for the author's mention that it was **Revised June 2019 in response to reviewer concerns**
And boy am I glad I gave it a chance! Because it was nothing short of remarkable. Raw, haunting and compelling.
The only reason I'm cutting down a star is due to the pacing, which felt a tad too slow at times, and the tension which fell a little short and left me yearning for that big bang moment - the 'turn those pages with the heart-in-your-mouth, biting your nails on the edge of your seat' kind of climax. The story seemed to build up to it but didn't quite deliver in the end. What it did instead is leave the threads fully open, for the next instalment of the Purification Era. One I fully intend to dive into ASAP. Because, apart from that pacing and tension, everything else about this book was chef's kiss!
The word-building is fabulous. Not very wide reaching, but vividly depicting everything, it leaves the reader with a clear picture of every single thing within the city in which the story unfolds.
The premise is great and absolutely believable, as well as frighteningly possible, while the characters are as fully fleshed and three dimensional as it gets. Their development was skilfully achieved, something that I always appreciate. But what stood out for me was the author's ability to make the reader feel with and for the characters in her tale. Because of the masterful way in which they had been drawn alongside a brilliant insight into the human mind, heart and spirit.
And Ariliah was the best of them all for me.
A young girl whose sorrow and longing went straight to my heart.
A lonely soul whose greatest wish was to be brave, smart, selfless, beautiful and strong. To be anything but what she was.
A broken, beaten down spirit, taught to expect punishment for the slightest mistake!
So desperate for affection that I wanted to reach out into the pages and give her a big strong hug!
And I couldn't help but admire her strong, resilient and fierce spirit!
The Purification Era is the tale of two sisters living in a supposedly safe and orderly militarized world. One with ruthless policies, supposedly enforced to provide protection from enemies lurking beyond the city wall. For some, the underground resistance is the only hope to escape from what they see as tyranny. For others, the militarised order is the safety they don't want to shake.
Which side is right and which is wrong? Especially in a world where nothing is plain black or white?
That remains for you to find out. But if you decide to give it a try, here is what you should expect:
This book will shock you and make you angry, it will make you cry and hope for the better. But that better will probably come in the sequel.
Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war, perfect for fans of characterization and political tension. If this sounds up your alley, give this book a try and you won't be disappointed.
It's a tale that lingers and touches hearts.
I was a little doubtful about picking up this book, due to a few negative reviews pointing out issues that would have been a total no-go for me too.
Yes! I do read negative reviews, because I'm also one of those who dish them when the content of a book rubs me the wrong way. And yes. They would have made me give a wide berth to this book here too, had it not been for the author's mention that it was **Revised June 2019 in response to reviewer concerns**
And boy am I glad I gave it a chance! Because it was nothing short of remarkable. Raw, haunting and compelling.
The only reason I'm cutting down a star is due to the pacing, which felt a tad too slow at times, and the tension which fell a little short and left me yearning for that big bang moment - the 'turn those pages with the heart-in-your-mouth, biting your nails on the edge of your seat' kind of climax. The story seemed to build up to it but didn't quite deliver in the end. What it did instead is leave the threads fully open, for the next instalment of the Purification Era. One I fully intend to dive into ASAP. Because, apart from that pacing and tension, everything else about this book was chef's kiss!
The word-building is fabulous. Not very wide reaching, but vividly depicting everything, it leaves the reader with a clear picture of every single thing within the city in which the story unfolds.
The premise is great and absolutely believable, as well as frighteningly possible, while the characters are as fully fleshed and three dimensional as it gets. Their development was skilfully achieved, something that I always appreciate. But what stood out for me was the author's ability to make the reader feel with and for the characters in her tale. Because of the masterful way in which they had been drawn alongside a brilliant insight into the human mind, heart and spirit.
And Ariliah was the best of them all for me.
A young girl whose sorrow and longing went straight to my heart.
A lonely soul whose greatest wish was to be brave, smart, selfless, beautiful and strong. To be anything but what she was.
A broken, beaten down spirit, taught to expect punishment for the slightest mistake!
So desperate for affection that I wanted to reach out into the pages and give her a big strong hug!
And I couldn't help but admire her strong, resilient and fierce spirit!
The Purification Era is the tale of two sisters living in a supposedly safe and orderly militarized world. One with ruthless policies, supposedly enforced to provide protection from enemies lurking beyond the city wall. For some, the underground resistance is the only hope to escape from what they see as tyranny. For others, the militarised order is the safety they don't want to shake.
Which side is right and which is wrong? Especially in a world where nothing is plain black or white?
That remains for you to find out. But if you decide to give it a try, here is what you should expect:
This book will shock you and make you angry, it will make you cry and hope for the better. But that better will probably come in the sequel.
Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war, perfect for fans of characterization and political tension. If this sounds up your alley, give this book a try and you won't be disappointed.
It's a tale that lingers and touches hearts.
July 24, 2016
Sowing By Angie Grigaliunas July 24th 2016
Wow what a good book, So complex and suspenseful.
Just about the time you think you have got it figured out BAM the Author takes you down a different road and keeps you guessing. One such incident was the questioning and torture of Rabreah & Edaliah for info on the name of the leader of the rebels, I thought it was a test till the Hulcondan questioning her started cutting her.
This is a heartstring-pulling story ,very well written with such vivid detail. You are in that oppressed world. I could not imagine having to have a militant escort walk me from home to and from work and any place else I went. In the name of protecting the people.
We see Rabreah's timid and gullible sister when it comes to the truth and interest of the Hulcondan’s, Ariiah who believes every word out of their oppressor’s mouth at first , embracing her own strength and use it for good. We meet Sorek the man trying to teach and build the skills of the individual rebels in hopes that it will keep them a live. Who by the way started off one the wrong foot with Rabreah, that makes for some pretty entertaining exchanges between the two very strong willed opinionated and sarcastic people. It just goes to prove not everyone who hurts you means you harm. Some want to see you grow both mentally and physically to improve your chances of staying alive.(I had to snicker with some of these exchanges between Rabreah & Sorek because I know someone like Sorek and witnessed similar exchanges in attitude with the man I know and my daughter. In the end he is still whom she seeks for council and insight.) We see a rebellion brewing, we can not clearly discern who is good or bad by the clothing or uniform they wear.
There are so many wonderful characters in this book,so rounded with plenty of depth to spare. The world the Author created is a perfect blend of new and old.It makes you wonder how things would be if we were invaded without the modern conveniences and we had to go back to the old ways of doing things.A lot in this world is of the old world but with a modern attitude. I love a book makes you think long after you read “The End” and this is one of those books ,well at least is is for me.
Wow what a good book, So complex and suspenseful.
Just about the time you think you have got it figured out BAM the Author takes you down a different road and keeps you guessing. One such incident was the questioning and torture of Rabreah & Edaliah for info on the name of the leader of the rebels, I thought it was a test till the Hulcondan questioning her started cutting her.
This is a heartstring-pulling story ,very well written with such vivid detail. You are in that oppressed world. I could not imagine having to have a militant escort walk me from home to and from work and any place else I went. In the name of protecting the people.
We see Rabreah's timid and gullible sister when it comes to the truth and interest of the Hulcondan’s, Ariiah who believes every word out of their oppressor’s mouth at first , embracing her own strength and use it for good. We meet Sorek the man trying to teach and build the skills of the individual rebels in hopes that it will keep them a live. Who by the way started off one the wrong foot with Rabreah, that makes for some pretty entertaining exchanges between the two very strong willed opinionated and sarcastic people. It just goes to prove not everyone who hurts you means you harm. Some want to see you grow both mentally and physically to improve your chances of staying alive.(I had to snicker with some of these exchanges between Rabreah & Sorek because I know someone like Sorek and witnessed similar exchanges in attitude with the man I know and my daughter. In the end he is still whom she seeks for council and insight.) We see a rebellion brewing, we can not clearly discern who is good or bad by the clothing or uniform they wear.
There are so many wonderful characters in this book,so rounded with plenty of depth to spare. The world the Author created is a perfect blend of new and old.It makes you wonder how things would be if we were invaded without the modern conveniences and we had to go back to the old ways of doing things.A lot in this world is of the old world but with a modern attitude. I love a book makes you think long after you read “The End” and this is one of those books ,well at least is is for me.
April 1, 2020
pooled ink Reviews:
I. Am. OBSESSED.
Okay this book was right up my alley. It's an intriguing blend of fantasy and dystopia. While the world-building and monsters beyond the wall build this story upon a fantasy foundation, the plot itself is very dystopian. The humans live within walled cities protected and ruled by the mighty Hulcondan soldiers, but what if the real monsters aren't lurking beyond the border? What if they're hiding in plain sight within their own home? Perhaps the monsters lurk on both sides of the wall?
Something that truly brought this story up a level was choosing to write it with dual POVs: the feisty Rabreah, and her younger timid sister Ariliah. By doing this we get to see two perspectives on the living situation of life within the wall and under Hulcondan rule, which seriously upped the intrigue factor.
Another standout element was the character work. Each character is multidimensional with pasts, presents, and questionable futures. Whether hero or villain each character will have moments that make you second guess your assumptions and gut-reactions. As the book opens it's only natural to accept the POV's thoughts as truth but as the story unfolds you'll begin to wonder just how much more is going on that neither sister sees or understands. Perhaps the monsters don't all bite and the heroes won't always save the damsel in distress.
If you go into this expecting basic, straightforward YA writing then you'll miss the plot entirely because it is packed with layers upon layers both in the action and the characters. Trust no one and nothing for there is always more than what you see. Everything is complicated like real life and that's what I really loved about it. Everyone wears a mask yet some aren't a mask at all, but how to tell?
Sowing kicks off a series filled with one-way mirrors, mystery, and the bonds of sisterhood. Packed with action, forbidden desires, and players keeping their cards close to their chests, this series is a intriguing read for both fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction.
Read my FULL review here: https://pooledink.com/2018/07/30/sowing/
I. Am. OBSESSED.
Okay this book was right up my alley. It's an intriguing blend of fantasy and dystopia. While the world-building and monsters beyond the wall build this story upon a fantasy foundation, the plot itself is very dystopian. The humans live within walled cities protected and ruled by the mighty Hulcondan soldiers, but what if the real monsters aren't lurking beyond the border? What if they're hiding in plain sight within their own home? Perhaps the monsters lurk on both sides of the wall?
Something that truly brought this story up a level was choosing to write it with dual POVs: the feisty Rabreah, and her younger timid sister Ariliah. By doing this we get to see two perspectives on the living situation of life within the wall and under Hulcondan rule, which seriously upped the intrigue factor.
Another standout element was the character work. Each character is multidimensional with pasts, presents, and questionable futures. Whether hero or villain each character will have moments that make you second guess your assumptions and gut-reactions. As the book opens it's only natural to accept the POV's thoughts as truth but as the story unfolds you'll begin to wonder just how much more is going on that neither sister sees or understands. Perhaps the monsters don't all bite and the heroes won't always save the damsel in distress.
If you go into this expecting basic, straightforward YA writing then you'll miss the plot entirely because it is packed with layers upon layers both in the action and the characters. Trust no one and nothing for there is always more than what you see. Everything is complicated like real life and that's what I really loved about it. Everyone wears a mask yet some aren't a mask at all, but how to tell?
Sowing kicks off a series filled with one-way mirrors, mystery, and the bonds of sisterhood. Packed with action, forbidden desires, and players keeping their cards close to their chests, this series is a intriguing read for both fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction.
Read my FULL review here: https://pooledink.com/2018/07/30/sowing/
September 3, 2016
I want to start by saying I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, it was quite well done. The characters are compelling and the story is well laid out. The author illustrates the tyrannical nature of the society without getting too lost in exposition. While first person narratives are not my cup of tea, this was done well enough that even not caring for the style, I was quite able to be engaged and remain so throughout the read. The initial chapter is a little slow paced, in a way, despite being hurried in action, in order to "set the scene" of the world and all that is going on but from there forward the pace is quickened and the read is fast. I found myself more fond of the antagonist-like characters than the protagonists which is something of a charming departure from the majority of YA novels of late. The author rather expertly layered her antagonists, really making an effort at giving them life rather than making them strictly horrible 2 dimensional figures existing solely for the sake of a plot. The book benefits from that a great deal. I appreciated the lack of cliche love triangles that mar so many YA novels of late, particularly dystopians. This story, instead, focuses on the experience of two sisters diverging in the paths they take toward living in and contending with a regimentally tyrannical society. It is well worth the read and certainly scores above most else available in the genre.
I did receive an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. As a writer and, more critically, an editor, I am prone to rather harsh judgement of the novels that I read. Most I admittedly find tiresome long before I finish the read- this maintained my interest throughout and that should be considered something of an achievement. I would recommend it and I do look forward to reading the follow on in the series.
I did receive an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. As a writer and, more critically, an editor, I am prone to rather harsh judgement of the novels that I read. Most I admittedly find tiresome long before I finish the read- this maintained my interest throughout and that should be considered something of an achievement. I would recommend it and I do look forward to reading the follow on in the series.
July 16, 2016
Sowing. The Purification Era.
The author certainly knew her characters and her development of those characters within the story is well done. As far as the plot, just as soon as I thought I had settled on which course events would take, I was most often surprised. The biggest questions for me during my reading were related to two of the main characters' motives and true individual character...and were they connected by some unseen relationship? Since the book is written in first person from two very close, but very different sisters, their thoughts, motives, and actions are well explained...and one is led to question them only due to the personal histories influencing each one's view of events. The only true drawback to the book, in my opinion, is that it took me reading the first two chapters to get a handle on the characters and setting...there is much explanation and clarification in these chapters. After that, the author's ebb and flow of events is often intense with some tension relieving humor woven into the fabric of the story. The ending of this first book in a series left me wondering just how soon she would produce the next book. Since book rating is difficult for me ...I've vacillated between a four and five star rating. The only reason that would take it to a four stars for me was the somewhat overwhelming information in the first two chapters – which I'm not sure could have been changed well or easily. Five stars since the book's interesting characters, plot twists, and some very well written word pictures that made me feel like I was there...I even found myself physically mimicking different character's movements and emotions. With that said, I'm giving it a five.
The author certainly knew her characters and her development of those characters within the story is well done. As far as the plot, just as soon as I thought I had settled on which course events would take, I was most often surprised. The biggest questions for me during my reading were related to two of the main characters' motives and true individual character...and were they connected by some unseen relationship? Since the book is written in first person from two very close, but very different sisters, their thoughts, motives, and actions are well explained...and one is led to question them only due to the personal histories influencing each one's view of events. The only true drawback to the book, in my opinion, is that it took me reading the first two chapters to get a handle on the characters and setting...there is much explanation and clarification in these chapters. After that, the author's ebb and flow of events is often intense with some tension relieving humor woven into the fabric of the story. The ending of this first book in a series left me wondering just how soon she would produce the next book. Since book rating is difficult for me ...I've vacillated between a four and five star rating. The only reason that would take it to a four stars for me was the somewhat overwhelming information in the first two chapters – which I'm not sure could have been changed well or easily. Five stars since the book's interesting characters, plot twists, and some very well written word pictures that made me feel like I was there...I even found myself physically mimicking different character's movements and emotions. With that said, I'm giving it a five.
August 10, 2016
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
So, I am particular on what dystopian fantasy I read, because the genre has become overcrowded recently and the last thing I want to do is waste my time with copies of The Hunger Games. And despite the main characters being sisters, that is the only similarity this book has the THG or ANY of the dystopian books you've read lately.
We start out with Rabreah and her little sister Ariliah. Rabreah is a tough girl, a rebel, protecting her sister as much as she can from the abuse Ariliah has received. Rab is a great, strong female lead who has, perhaps, a few flaws. Like her insistence not to trust any man again after getting her heart broken. Rab, at times, reminded me of the person I was a few years ago, the person I now look back on and despise. She's a bit too hardheaded, too opinionated. As the book went on, I liked her sister better than I liked her.
No surprise to me, I kind of fell a little in love with Masrekah. He's a sarcastic little bastard, and I really hope to one day see a book from his POV. I know his story has got to be deep and I am eager to learn more about him.
The plot was fast moving, though there is a bit of an information dump at the beginning. You want to see these characters succeed, you find yourself quickly turning pages on your Kindle (or paperback) to see what happens next.
This is a wonderful world Angie has created, and I can't wait to see where she takes these unique characters. Despite their flaws, they are so three-dimensional, I feel as though I know them.
So, I am particular on what dystopian fantasy I read, because the genre has become overcrowded recently and the last thing I want to do is waste my time with copies of The Hunger Games. And despite the main characters being sisters, that is the only similarity this book has the THG or ANY of the dystopian books you've read lately.
We start out with Rabreah and her little sister Ariliah. Rabreah is a tough girl, a rebel, protecting her sister as much as she can from the abuse Ariliah has received. Rab is a great, strong female lead who has, perhaps, a few flaws. Like her insistence not to trust any man again after getting her heart broken. Rab, at times, reminded me of the person I was a few years ago, the person I now look back on and despise. She's a bit too hardheaded, too opinionated. As the book went on, I liked her sister better than I liked her.
No surprise to me, I kind of fell a little in love with Masrekah. He's a sarcastic little bastard, and I really hope to one day see a book from his POV. I know his story has got to be deep and I am eager to learn more about him.
The plot was fast moving, though there is a bit of an information dump at the beginning. You want to see these characters succeed, you find yourself quickly turning pages on your Kindle (or paperback) to see what happens next.
This is a wonderful world Angie has created, and I can't wait to see where she takes these unique characters. Despite their flaws, they are so three-dimensional, I feel as though I know them.
June 19, 2016
I was honored to be one of the lucky ones to get an advanced copies of this book! It gripped my attention from the start, a tale of 2 sisters' bond that will withstand anything! There are disturbing and dark parts in this book but it only shows the amount of strength these characters have! I fell in love with each for different reasons. This story is more that just about sisters and their bond, its about each finding out what they are truly capable of and how they can make a difference. They have been pushed down all their lives, now they need to stand up.
Will Ri or Brea be the one to finally take out the "Vulture"? Will one of them die trying? Who is behind all the killings? What is the final outcome? I can not wait til book 2!!!
Will Ri or Brea be the one to finally take out the "Vulture"? Will one of them die trying? Who is behind all the killings? What is the final outcome? I can not wait til book 2!!!
August 9, 2016
Amazing story filled with beautiful, larger-than-life characters! Although a slow start in the beginning (I normally read much faster-paced books with battle and drama on the first few pages), the bond between the two sisters, the structure of their society, and the hints at deeper plots kept me hooked the entire time. "Sowing" is the perfect debut novel for this author and you can already see by the many reviews how much people love it. Do yourself a favor and purchase it!
July 27, 2016
I received an early advanced copy of this book and I loved every second of it. It's very suspenseful and the characters were so real like that I couldn't stop reading. I enjoyed it very much.
February 23, 2019
Sowing is the second SPFBO finalist book I chose to read. I’m certainly glad I did. There are many, many things to commend about this story. This is nearly a 4.5 star rating, but there were a couple things that bothered me. More on that later.
First, the characters are fantastic. Ariliah and Rabreah are unique, their sister friendship endearing in a way you don’t often see in fantasy. Both had many layers and differing motivations, and their voices were strong and easily decipherable. I could tell right away whose POV I was in even if there were no headings letting me know which was which. I loved Rabreah’s older sister protectiveness, almost to a fault. The reasons for this were clear without being overemphasized. Ariliah’s young impressionability and self consciousness made me feel like she really was the 14 years old she was supposed to be. One of my main complaints with YA fantasy is the overdone “strong independent opinionated teenager” trope. These characters had none of that. For the most part it felt like they really were their ages.
Sorek was my least favorite main character and more overdone than the other two. I didn’t hate him, exactly, but I think that was purposeful. I don’t think the author intended for us to like him, only understand him. There were elements of his character that felt forced, but there were also elements that were really well done. His dislike of what he did to Rabreah, for example, or the sturdy way in which he faced the Hulcandans and seemed to insert himself purposefully into their “good graces” so to speak. However, I feel like his sarcasm and wit were a bit overdone. And the fact that he was a good bit older than Rabreah and still flirted with her seemed like a double standard. Sure, he wasn’t marrying a child like the Hulcandans, but he was also okay with being too familiar with a woman who was barely an adult. Eh.
The prose was generally very well written. The dialogue felt stinted at times, but the descriptions were beautiful and the themes well fleshed out. One of my favorite scenes was Ariliah and Sakarah and the redemption in their relationship. The prose gave me chills.
All in all, I can see why some people had a hard time with the whole Sorek/Rabreah issue. But honestly, I think it comes from a misunderstanding of the intentions of the book itself. To me, it seemed threefold. First, you can’t read this book without realizing it’s darkness. This is DARK YA fantasy. The society is crumbled. This in no way makes what Sorek did GOOD or RIGHT, but it made what he did NECESSARY. However, I think the whole “falling for your victimizer” complaint is well founded. It’s certainly not necessary to the story, in my opinion, but it DOES highlight the fact that Rabreah is young. And honestly, victims REALLY DO often struggle with this (I work with survivors of sex trafficking. It’s a hard truth.) Second, the author highlighted Rabreah’s revulsion and attraction in helpful ways. It wasn’t exactly the same trope that is so annoying for readers nowadays. Rabreah herself feels the tension between anger and being drawn to him. That battle, to me, felt realistic in a gut wrenching type of way, and only highlighted the darkness of the society. Third, Sorek himself hated that he had to do it and said that he did it so no one else would have to. This can fall short on some readers ears, but for me, it seemed genuine. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? And for me the answer is... both.
My main issues with the book were mainly world building ones. The itzalin weren’t fully explained, nor their backstory (except in a seemingly last minute “creation of the world” type of way.) I would have much rather seen them fleshed out in the same way the Hulcandans were. The cage scene towards the end was really the only look we got of any value, and it was glossed over in a way that was a bit annoying. The other thing I would have liked to see was a bigger scope of the world itself. I’m hoping this will come out in follow up books.
All in all, the strengths of this story were very strong. Sister friendship, deep characters with many differing motivations, darkness and the effects it has on people... do well done. The flaws or weaknesses didn’t detract too much from the story. I feel that many, many readers will enjoy this, as I did.
First, the characters are fantastic. Ariliah and Rabreah are unique, their sister friendship endearing in a way you don’t often see in fantasy. Both had many layers and differing motivations, and their voices were strong and easily decipherable. I could tell right away whose POV I was in even if there were no headings letting me know which was which. I loved Rabreah’s older sister protectiveness, almost to a fault. The reasons for this were clear without being overemphasized. Ariliah’s young impressionability and self consciousness made me feel like she really was the 14 years old she was supposed to be. One of my main complaints with YA fantasy is the overdone “strong independent opinionated teenager” trope. These characters had none of that. For the most part it felt like they really were their ages.
Sorek was my least favorite main character and more overdone than the other two. I didn’t hate him, exactly, but I think that was purposeful. I don’t think the author intended for us to like him, only understand him. There were elements of his character that felt forced, but there were also elements that were really well done. His dislike of what he did to Rabreah, for example, or the sturdy way in which he faced the Hulcandans and seemed to insert himself purposefully into their “good graces” so to speak. However, I feel like his sarcasm and wit were a bit overdone. And the fact that he was a good bit older than Rabreah and still flirted with her seemed like a double standard. Sure, he wasn’t marrying a child like the Hulcandans, but he was also okay with being too familiar with a woman who was barely an adult. Eh.
The prose was generally very well written. The dialogue felt stinted at times, but the descriptions were beautiful and the themes well fleshed out. One of my favorite scenes was Ariliah and Sakarah and the redemption in their relationship. The prose gave me chills.
All in all, I can see why some people had a hard time with the whole Sorek/Rabreah issue. But honestly, I think it comes from a misunderstanding of the intentions of the book itself. To me, it seemed threefold. First, you can’t read this book without realizing it’s darkness. This is DARK YA fantasy. The society is crumbled. This in no way makes what Sorek did GOOD or RIGHT, but it made what he did NECESSARY. However, I think the whole “falling for your victimizer” complaint is well founded. It’s certainly not necessary to the story, in my opinion, but it DOES highlight the fact that Rabreah is young. And honestly, victims REALLY DO often struggle with this (I work with survivors of sex trafficking. It’s a hard truth.) Second, the author highlighted Rabreah’s revulsion and attraction in helpful ways. It wasn’t exactly the same trope that is so annoying for readers nowadays. Rabreah herself feels the tension between anger and being drawn to him. That battle, to me, felt realistic in a gut wrenching type of way, and only highlighted the darkness of the society. Third, Sorek himself hated that he had to do it and said that he did it so no one else would have to. This can fall short on some readers ears, but for me, it seemed genuine. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? And for me the answer is... both.
My main issues with the book were mainly world building ones. The itzalin weren’t fully explained, nor their backstory (except in a seemingly last minute “creation of the world” type of way.) I would have much rather seen them fleshed out in the same way the Hulcandans were. The cage scene towards the end was really the only look we got of any value, and it was glossed over in a way that was a bit annoying. The other thing I would have liked to see was a bigger scope of the world itself. I’m hoping this will come out in follow up books.
All in all, the strengths of this story were very strong. Sister friendship, deep characters with many differing motivations, darkness and the effects it has on people... do well done. The flaws or weaknesses didn’t detract too much from the story. I feel that many, many readers will enjoy this, as I did.
July 26, 2016
*** I am providing a review based on a pre-release copy of the book. This review is solely my opinion and was not paid for or otherwise manipulated for the author's gain. It may contain some spoilers, so please proceed with that in mind.
Sowing was a very interesting read. I agree with many of the other comments that the first few chapters are a bit difficult to get into due to setting up the story/characters. I feel like the mention of all the other races/nearby areas could have been held until later when they became a bit more relevant (there's a festival where many gather and I feel like it would have fit better in that part than trying to shove it in the beginning. I reread the first few chapters multiple times because I felt like I needed to have all this information to proceed and I really didn't).
The story goes back and forth in the first person between two sisters, Ariliah (shortening to Ari for the rest of the review) and Rabreah (Rab). Each chapter is headed with who is "speaking", which adds a nice facet to the writing (I have done the same in my writings :)). I think third person would be very confusing for this story and being able to really get inside the characters' heads helps (especially with Rab).
There are plenty of extra characters and we get some glimpses into the lives of several in particular, but they are kept somewhat at arm's length. There is some character development, but we don't get the insight into their motivation beyond Sakarah (Ari's best friend) and Jesrahiah and those are very superficial.
Ari and Rab's relationship with each other and their mother (both as a team and individually) are semi-developed. There's definite older/younger sister protectiveness and idolizing and it's nice to see Ari finally starting to break free of that fearful, timid spirit toward the middle/ending of the book. While the reason the mother is so spiteful toward Ari isn't really revealed, I'm hoping that's something that's coming in another book as it's another motivation I would like to understand.
I do agree, to some degree, with another reviewer that it's hard to really "like" either Ari or Rab. I was mentally reaching through the book several times wanting to strangle both of them. I found Ari afraid of her own shadow and Rab very brusque.
The main characters (impressions):
Ari: I was not a physical abuse case at home, but I dealt with a reasonable amount of emotional/psychological abuse. I feel like Ari's reaction and "mental tape" of how no one could love her/like her, etc. was fairly realistic for someone who had been told terrible things by her mother. While Rab protected Ari from their mother physically, I feel like she could have done more as her sister to uplift her emotionally. She seemed to be very distant to her sister. As an only child, I don't know how realistic this connection/lack of connection was, but it seems almost as cold as their mother. I was happy to see her finally start stepping forward and cheered when she finally took their mother to the ground. She has a very sweet, naive view of men/relationships that could definitely be a weakness in the way this world is set up, but it's refreshing to see that, despite her mother's ramblings and her sister's constant negative attitude, she isn't completely incapable of trusting or looking toward men as protectors/positive.
Overall feel -- Very timid, weak girl who was beaten down both physically and mentally. The ending gave me hope that she may be turning a corner and be even more formidable than her sister.
Rab: It's less clear how much abuse she took from their mother, so her hardness is a bit more difficult to pin down. Her view of men/intimacy is very very warped. She's got a very strong hate toward the ruling class and a lot of it seems to be centered around how they handle women. She was claimed by the second in command and made to fear him and fought him in seemingly every/any advance he made toward her. She speaks of rape and physical intimacy in such a negative tone, I feel that there's more to come out in her back story. I've been raped. While that affects one's attitude toward the opposite gender and physical relations, her absolute hatred seems far beyond a relationship/marital rape and disapproval of the ruling class. I would suspect sexual abuse in the family somewhere to invoke this degree of distrust. Her wounds in this area go further back than Masrekah and I hope this is explored more in future books.
Overall feel -- I do not like her. She's not warm in any way. She's protective of her sister, but anything that seems "kind" that she does I always feel like she's forcing and doesn't really mean.
The last part of the book, when they had the multi city/area "Festival" helps develop several of the characters more. This event is little more than an excuse for absolute debauchery. Unwelcome sexual advances toward women are not only unpunished but encouraged. A singles dance that has multiple individual parts is required of all eligible citizens who are "of age".
Now, with what I know of Ari and Rab, I expect Ari to be a wallflower and Rab to be sulking through most of it. Instead, Rab is helping to dress up, adorn and otherwise accentuate her little sister. This baffles me in ways I can't even explain. Why would someone who has been raped, has so little trust of the ruling class and is supposedly protective of her sister make her more attractive and draw attention to her? I would understand her wanting to help combat Ari's feelings of being entirely unattractive and undesirable (which Ari proves in her fidgeting) by helping her dress nicer for this annual event. However, it seems obvious from the attention she receives that she is more than dressed nicely. This doesn't fit with Rab's prior emotional absence from Ari or her distrust and knowledge of the rapes/abuses that go on during the event.
Overall, this book as a pleasant read. And once I got past the first few chapters, the rest went fairly quickly (I realize my reading time doesn't really reflect that but I'm a parent with two very busy kids during the summer ;)). I look forward to reading more of this series as I hope that the next book(s) elaborate more on the areas I found confusing or contradictory (mainly what I noted above). I appreciate the opportunity. :)
Sowing was a very interesting read. I agree with many of the other comments that the first few chapters are a bit difficult to get into due to setting up the story/characters. I feel like the mention of all the other races/nearby areas could have been held until later when they became a bit more relevant (there's a festival where many gather and I feel like it would have fit better in that part than trying to shove it in the beginning. I reread the first few chapters multiple times because I felt like I needed to have all this information to proceed and I really didn't).
The story goes back and forth in the first person between two sisters, Ariliah (shortening to Ari for the rest of the review) and Rabreah (Rab). Each chapter is headed with who is "speaking", which adds a nice facet to the writing (I have done the same in my writings :)). I think third person would be very confusing for this story and being able to really get inside the characters' heads helps (especially with Rab).
There are plenty of extra characters and we get some glimpses into the lives of several in particular, but they are kept somewhat at arm's length. There is some character development, but we don't get the insight into their motivation beyond Sakarah (Ari's best friend) and Jesrahiah and those are very superficial.
Ari and Rab's relationship with each other and their mother (both as a team and individually) are semi-developed. There's definite older/younger sister protectiveness and idolizing and it's nice to see Ari finally starting to break free of that fearful, timid spirit toward the middle/ending of the book. While the reason the mother is so spiteful toward Ari isn't really revealed, I'm hoping that's something that's coming in another book as it's another motivation I would like to understand.
I do agree, to some degree, with another reviewer that it's hard to really "like" either Ari or Rab. I was mentally reaching through the book several times wanting to strangle both of them. I found Ari afraid of her own shadow and Rab very brusque.
The main characters (impressions):
Ari: I was not a physical abuse case at home, but I dealt with a reasonable amount of emotional/psychological abuse. I feel like Ari's reaction and "mental tape" of how no one could love her/like her, etc. was fairly realistic for someone who had been told terrible things by her mother. While Rab protected Ari from their mother physically, I feel like she could have done more as her sister to uplift her emotionally. She seemed to be very distant to her sister. As an only child, I don't know how realistic this connection/lack of connection was, but it seems almost as cold as their mother. I was happy to see her finally start stepping forward and cheered when she finally took their mother to the ground. She has a very sweet, naive view of men/relationships that could definitely be a weakness in the way this world is set up, but it's refreshing to see that, despite her mother's ramblings and her sister's constant negative attitude, she isn't completely incapable of trusting or looking toward men as protectors/positive.
Overall feel -- Very timid, weak girl who was beaten down both physically and mentally. The ending gave me hope that she may be turning a corner and be even more formidable than her sister.
Rab: It's less clear how much abuse she took from their mother, so her hardness is a bit more difficult to pin down. Her view of men/intimacy is very very warped. She's got a very strong hate toward the ruling class and a lot of it seems to be centered around how they handle women. She was claimed by the second in command and made to fear him and fought him in seemingly every/any advance he made toward her. She speaks of rape and physical intimacy in such a negative tone, I feel that there's more to come out in her back story. I've been raped. While that affects one's attitude toward the opposite gender and physical relations, her absolute hatred seems far beyond a relationship/marital rape and disapproval of the ruling class. I would suspect sexual abuse in the family somewhere to invoke this degree of distrust. Her wounds in this area go further back than Masrekah and I hope this is explored more in future books.
Overall feel -- I do not like her. She's not warm in any way. She's protective of her sister, but anything that seems "kind" that she does I always feel like she's forcing and doesn't really mean.
The last part of the book, when they had the multi city/area "Festival" helps develop several of the characters more. This event is little more than an excuse for absolute debauchery. Unwelcome sexual advances toward women are not only unpunished but encouraged. A singles dance that has multiple individual parts is required of all eligible citizens who are "of age".
Now, with what I know of Ari and Rab, I expect Ari to be a wallflower and Rab to be sulking through most of it. Instead, Rab is helping to dress up, adorn and otherwise accentuate her little sister. This baffles me in ways I can't even explain. Why would someone who has been raped, has so little trust of the ruling class and is supposedly protective of her sister make her more attractive and draw attention to her? I would understand her wanting to help combat Ari's feelings of being entirely unattractive and undesirable (which Ari proves in her fidgeting) by helping her dress nicer for this annual event. However, it seems obvious from the attention she receives that she is more than dressed nicely. This doesn't fit with Rab's prior emotional absence from Ari or her distrust and knowledge of the rapes/abuses that go on during the event.
Overall, this book as a pleasant read. And once I got past the first few chapters, the rest went fairly quickly (I realize my reading time doesn't really reflect that but I'm a parent with two very busy kids during the summer ;)). I look forward to reading more of this series as I hope that the next book(s) elaborate more on the areas I found confusing or contradictory (mainly what I noted above). I appreciate the opportunity. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2018
Ill leave a more thorough review later and I hope to interview the author since she’s a spfbo finalist.
Quick rundown. First 50% was great. I actually enjoyed both characters a lot and I had a hard time putting it down.
I did not care for the interrogation period of the novel. I felt like the character got away with a lot of insolence and poor behavior for someone wanting to join a secret rebel group where the slightest discovery could lead to a brutal death. If I had been the leader she probably would have ended up dead because I was worried I couldn’t trust her to take orders pretty fast.
Or maybe that’s the normally grimdark reading me and not the YA reading me?
Either way a lot of fun to read and if it weren’t for that middle section it would have been a solid 5*. As it is a fun read that a wide range of people should enjoy!
Quick rundown. First 50% was great. I actually enjoyed both characters a lot and I had a hard time putting it down.
I did not care for the interrogation period of the novel. I felt like the character got away with a lot of insolence and poor behavior for someone wanting to join a secret rebel group where the slightest discovery could lead to a brutal death. If I had been the leader she probably would have ended up dead because I was worried I couldn’t trust her to take orders pretty fast.
Or maybe that’s the normally grimdark reading me and not the YA reading me?
Either way a lot of fun to read and if it weren’t for that middle section it would have been a solid 5*. As it is a fun read that a wide range of people should enjoy!
July 30, 2016
Before I officially start this review, I have to mention that I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
And I'm glad I signed up for it!
I just finished reading "Sowing" and I can safely say I enjoyed the novel very, very much. To be honest "enjoy" is not even the right word--I believe a good book has to, yes, offer an enjoining experience, but also touch some of our inner chords. A good book makes the readers feel what the characters feel, either it is fear, love, glee or whatever. That's something in which Angie Grigaliunas certainly succeeded. I could feel Rabreah's not-so-hidden anger as it turned into hate, Ariliah's rebellious spirit slowly building up (also, she's imho the best character of the book, marvelously flawed if you get what I mean), Sorek's compassionate nature behind a mask of cockiness. And you know what's best? The villains, the Hulcondans, are not nearly as two-dimensional as one might expect. They're people, they have feelings, they try to act for the sake of the city, they genuinely believe the terrorist are harming the country. Even though we, the readers, have learnt that a tyranny is a mistake, we can almost believe them as they talk of freedom. Even during an interrogation, even when we know it will end up disastrously for the prisoner, what the Hulcondan says... heck, it makes sense. And, should I talk about Mas? Still a man behind the uniform. Not even remotely the monster some characters see.
I believe that "Sowing", despite being a work of fiction, tells us a lot about us as humanity. It reminds us how gullible we can be when put in front of a tyranny.
I got only one critique to this novel: Rabreah and Sorek's relationship seemed to me, at times, a bit too rushed. Only at times, mind you; most of times it works. There were, however, a few moments when I wondered if Sorek wasn't rushing things a bit too much. Then again, this is a series so there will be plenty of occasions to develop their relationship. And I am confident that what seems rushing will turn out as merely a flaw from Sorek's part :)
Just one question: when will the next book be available? It will never be soon enough!
And I'm glad I signed up for it!
I just finished reading "Sowing" and I can safely say I enjoyed the novel very, very much. To be honest "enjoy" is not even the right word--I believe a good book has to, yes, offer an enjoining experience, but also touch some of our inner chords. A good book makes the readers feel what the characters feel, either it is fear, love, glee or whatever. That's something in which Angie Grigaliunas certainly succeeded. I could feel Rabreah's not-so-hidden anger as it turned into hate, Ariliah's rebellious spirit slowly building up (also, she's imho the best character of the book, marvelously flawed if you get what I mean), Sorek's compassionate nature behind a mask of cockiness. And you know what's best? The villains, the Hulcondans, are not nearly as two-dimensional as one might expect. They're people, they have feelings, they try to act for the sake of the city, they genuinely believe the terrorist are harming the country. Even though we, the readers, have learnt that a tyranny is a mistake, we can almost believe them as they talk of freedom. Even during an interrogation, even when we know it will end up disastrously for the prisoner, what the Hulcondan says... heck, it makes sense. And, should I talk about Mas? Still a man behind the uniform. Not even remotely the monster some characters see.
I believe that "Sowing", despite being a work of fiction, tells us a lot about us as humanity. It reminds us how gullible we can be when put in front of a tyranny.
I got only one critique to this novel: Rabreah and Sorek's relationship seemed to me, at times, a bit too rushed. Only at times, mind you; most of times it works. There were, however, a few moments when I wondered if Sorek wasn't rushing things a bit too much. Then again, this is a series so there will be plenty of occasions to develop their relationship. And I am confident that what seems rushing will turn out as merely a flaw from Sorek's part :)
Just one question: when will the next book be available? It will never be soon enough!
June 29, 2016
A Medievil Dystopian
Rabreah and her sister, Ariliah, are on opposite sides of a brewing rebellion. Rabreah believes all that is wrong with their society is the ruling Hulcondans. Ariliah believes an unknown group of rebels is responsible for all of the unrest and evil doings. Who is right and who is wrong? What will happen once the two groups go head to head? Will the sisters fight together or be on opposite sides?
Grigaliunas’ first novel in The Purification Era, Sowing, is a refreshingly new take on a dystopian story. Its medieval setting is vividly painted with rich detail. The character development is some of the best I’ve ever read. I feel as though I know the protagonist duo as I would any of my friends. In fact, I’ve fussed at and laughed out loud at them. The supporting characters are equally well developed. The plot keeps you guessing and has several interesting twists. The story telling itself switches between the two sisters’ points of view. I found it fascinating at how very different they sometimes viewed the same event. As with any first book in a series should, it leaves you wanting more.
I loved how the author was able to adapt the characters into a lifestyle during medieval times as though she had lived in that era herself. It’s a hard life without the conveniences and quick fixes that we have come to expect. It is evident that she put in a lot of research to get everything just right. This is one of the many reasons I rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book for free from the author for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
Rabreah and her sister, Ariliah, are on opposite sides of a brewing rebellion. Rabreah believes all that is wrong with their society is the ruling Hulcondans. Ariliah believes an unknown group of rebels is responsible for all of the unrest and evil doings. Who is right and who is wrong? What will happen once the two groups go head to head? Will the sisters fight together or be on opposite sides?
Grigaliunas’ first novel in The Purification Era, Sowing, is a refreshingly new take on a dystopian story. Its medieval setting is vividly painted with rich detail. The character development is some of the best I’ve ever read. I feel as though I know the protagonist duo as I would any of my friends. In fact, I’ve fussed at and laughed out loud at them. The supporting characters are equally well developed. The plot keeps you guessing and has several interesting twists. The story telling itself switches between the two sisters’ points of view. I found it fascinating at how very different they sometimes viewed the same event. As with any first book in a series should, it leaves you wanting more.
I loved how the author was able to adapt the characters into a lifestyle during medieval times as though she had lived in that era herself. It’s a hard life without the conveniences and quick fixes that we have come to expect. It is evident that she put in a lot of research to get everything just right. This is one of the many reasons I rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book for free from the author for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
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